Photo By Capt. Kara Siepmann | California National Guard Soldiers and Airmen convene for a daily meeting in the Joint...... read more read more
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Up a flight of stairs, two lefts down a long hallway, a left through a doorway, then two more rights, are three large screen television monitors mounted on the wall break up the monotony of the sea of grey cubicles.
By the glow of the screens, a noncommissioned offer sits at her monitor, waiting for the next help ticket to arrive through the California Military Department’s online portal system. The request will be for a material or service that most Californians take for granted every day, a hot meal, air conditioning repair, garbage removal service.
“All kinds of requests for material and services arrive from MSTs (Mission Support Team) supporting units near the fires right now,” said Capt. Brian Bell, an operations officer activated from the 115th Regional Support Group.
Since early July, California National Guard troops have been activated in support of wildfire response efforts. They need extra generators, gloves, batteries and food and water.
“Here in the JLOC (Joint Logistical Operations Center), someone brings us a problem and we solve it,” Bell said. “Sometimes as fast as a day.”
In July, law enforcement and military used the Lakeport, Calif., armory to stage equipment and operate out of. But the armory had been relinquished back to the county years before. As a result, there were no scheduled trash pick-ups and the garbage bags began to pile up. While the main force continued their mission, the MST identified the issue and asked Bell and his team for help. Within 24 hours the garbage was gone and a regular pick up rhythm was set up with a local municipality. But the fire shifted and personnel set up shop somewhere else.
But logistical operations weren’t always so efficient, said Capt. Charles McNeill of the 49th Military Police Brigade. Recent process and planning improvements have expedited the state headquarters’ ability to respond to service and supply requests.
“We now can minimize red tape and get assets to servicemembers who need it right away,” said McNeill.
JLOC officers monitor and track requests, but rely on the Emergency Finance Section, a full-time team of finance and logistics officers fluent in federal, state and local contracting law and audit requirements.
“CMD is not provided funding up front for emergencies since they cannot be forecasted. Emergencies are an un-forecasted event,” explained Capt. Chris Schoenwandt, Emergency Management Group Finance Section Chief.
Every dollar or minute spent using personnel or assets must be logged, reported, and reimbursed by the agency that requested us.”
As the frequency and enormity of wildfires have increased, public agencies have instituted agreements with the California National Guard. These agreements fulfill audit requirements, but have also improved the military’s ability to stay mission focused.
“In the past we’d receive requests for fuel from MPs for example,” said McNeil. “Now counties agencies may say, ‘here’s our fuel card, go fill up there and save the receipt.’ Soldiers are freed up to focus on their mission of establishing traffic control points (or whatever is requested of them) instead of conducting comprehensive front-end planning for logistics.”
This is the first year the California National Guard has launched the MST program.
“The MST concept is an evolution of the ESADT (Emergency State Active Duty) Teams,” said Schoenwandt. “The MSTs can be Soldiers or Airmen and cover J1, J4, and J8 functions.”
Mobile Support Team members now come from any service support specialty branch. As liaisons, they’re able to in-process, make updates to service member profiles, manage their unit roster in the state’s emergency management software system, and coordinate logistics. More than 30 are trained as cross-functional liaisons, similar to unit readiness NCOs, who identify and address shortfalls through their chains of command in the rear. Another 30 will be trained by the end of August.
“Admin and logistics don’t lead from the front in the military,” Schoenwandlt said. “But we certainly make it possible for the front line to accomplish their mission.”
| Date Taken: | 08.25.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2018 00:41 |
| Story ID: | 290332 |
| Location: | SACRAMENTO, US |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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